External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj wrote to her Fijian counterpart Ratu Inoke Kubuabola to express her condolences, ministry spokesman Vikas Swarup said adding that India had extended 1 million dollars as immediate assistance.

“In addition, today (Thursday) a C-17 Globemaster aircraft has left for Fiji with 45 tonnes of relief material, which includes food products such as noodles, biscuits, milk powder, rice pulses, flour and salt, as well as 5.43 tonnes of medicines and 300 tents and kitchen sets,” Swarup said at a media briefing here.

People of Indian origin account for 44 percent of Fiji’s population. Most are descendants of Indians who went in the 18th and 19th centuries to work as indentured labour in sugar cane plantations in the island nation.

The help is as promised by the Indian government last week. Fiji which has been left devastated because of this cyclone is in the need of help. (IANS)

“This agreement will stimulate the flow of investment, technology and personnel from India to Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and vice versa, prevent double taxation and provide for the exchange of information between the two contracting parties,” the statement said. “It will improve transparency in tax matters and will help curb tax evasion and tax avoidance,” it added. IANS